One

It was almost dawn when the woman lying in bed opened her eyes at the smell of smoke and many things burning. She had been in a dream and had thought her brain had processed the scent because the dream had included a burning house with two children inside. But it wasn't just the dream. It was reality.

The woman sat up and grabbed her jacket from the chair she kept beside the bed, using it as a night stand since she didn't have one, then, got into the wheelchair that sat ready for her to go wherever it was possible. Using all the strength in her arms, she lifted herself off the bed and transitioned over to the handmade cushion from an artist who dealt with such delicate materials. Her legs hung limply, paralyzed and unusable. She straightened them onto the footrest then wheeled her way to the door to the outside. What she saw was not at all pretty.

Her whole pack was on fire, every house engulfed with flames, ever member of her pack helping those who can't as easily escape. Some of the injured took it upon themselves to continue to find young children and carry them to safety. Those worse off, skin blackened and blisters rising, were carried away. But no one left the others behind. It was their way. It was their promise and loyalty as a pack. No one gets left behind, even the dead.

"Zazriel!" She looked up to see her friend carrying another pack mate who looked like their leg had been crushed by debris. "Lead the others to safety. I will take care of the rest here!"

"I'm not useless you know!" she snarled. "Just because I'm in a wheelchair does not mean I can't help my pack, Gatrie!"

His eyes softened, and she thought she saw a look of pity. "I know you're not useless, but as Alpha of the pack, I am bound to protect you."

"And as alpha of this pack, I am bound to help my pack mates in any time of need! I may be new at this, but I'm not going to show weakness!" Zazriel wheeled away, a scowl marring her face. She had become alpha of Nightstar Pack just a month before, promising to support everyone who resided within, and punish those who crossed the line. At first, no one liked the idea of her being an alpha since she couldn't walk and her wolf was practically helpless. But, after a presentation in a sparring match with Gatrie with her coming out on top, there was much less doubt in her ability. She had told her friend not to hold back, to give her all he had, and he did.

Of course, it wasn't luck that helped her win. It was all the training she has done since birth. Her father making her sweat blood and tears just so she'd be able to hold her own. No one thought Zazriel would overachieve and become the most skilled at combat, even being lame.

So, having Gatrie order her to lead the pack to safety instead of staying to help the stranded and helpless, it was like a stab to her pride. It was an insult and he knew it. Not to mention the pity in his eyes at her disability made her want to throw up. She was no helpless creature. If she wanted, she could rip his throat out as easily as any other wolf. But she couldn't think of that right now.

She needed to focus on saving her pack mates. One, of which was trapped just inside their house, the entry and escape having been blocked by burning wood that had collapsed. The person saw her, and cried out for help. Zazriel found a scrap of metal, some kind of rod from possibly a aquaduct, and waved her hand as a signal to the person inside to move back and away. The person did their best and moved as far away as possible without getting close to any other engulfing flame. Zazriel swung the rod and bashed through the wood, her chair swinging with her momentum as she forgot to lock the breaks.

Steadying herself, Zazriel launched herself inside and towards the person. She realized it was Melissa, one of the low ranking females who had believed in Zazriel when almost everyone else didn't. "Go on!" she called. "We need to get out before we're buried alive!"

"My baby!" Melissa cried.

"Where?"

"Upstairs!"

Zazriel nodded and gestured for the woman to hurry outside. When she was sure Melissa was safe, she wheeled further inside and groaned. Stairs! Of course, Melissa's family had no need for ramps and elevators, but Zazriel found that stairs and her shared a mutual hatred.

Without further wasting time, she rolled forward and onto the floor, her legs useless to help her sit up right She shifted into her wolf and nearly did a face plant. While her back legs worked fine, it were her front that caused trouble, ironic considering her human form. In Zazriel's mind, she looked like one of those dinosaurs that were very intimidating and huge, chasing their prey. But when they tried to reach for the prey with their arms, they'd come just a bit too short, useless.

That was exactly like Zazriel. Her front legs were shortened so much, it was difficult to walk, much less look up without straining her back. Yet, she learned to deal with it. Now, she thought kangaroo as she used her back legs to jump up the stairs and into the nursery where a loud cry could be heard. Beside the crib was a man's body, limp and chest crushed by the piece of ceiling that had fallen, just far enough away so that the baby was safe. She whined.

The baby looked at her when she stood to look down at it, eyes red and cheeks puffy. It whimpered, those brown eyes so innocent and helpless. Zazriel was entranced for a moment before the sound of cracking came to her ears. Lowering her head, she wrapped the baby in a bundle of blankets the best she could then carefully lifted it up and out of the bed. Now, she had to lower down without falling and injuring the child and herself. More cracking and she knew she was running out of time.

She began to hop out of the room and towards the stairs, careful with the baby. At the top of the stairs, she didn't think, just leapt off while for the moment she was in the air, she shifted into human form, putting her body beneath the baby's so she'd take the brunt of the fall. And it hurt like a bitch! Cursing under her breath, she held the baby in one arm as she scooted over to her chair. Right before she reached it, though, burning ceiling fell on it. Making Zazriel shield herself and the baby with her arms. When she looked back, the chair was in pieces.

"Great!" she grumbled and glanced down. The baby was now crying but still had that look all babies had when they wanted to let the floodgates go, but something always seemed to stop them. "Hold on little Angel. I'm going to get us out of here!"

Since her chair was not only in pieces but also crushed and on fire, she moved as quickly as she could by scooting across the floor towards the door. It was barricaded again, the outside blocked by walls and ceiling she hadn't noticed had come down. Zazriel cursed again and searched for something to use, but everything was either on fire or too hot to touch. She was loosing oxygen really fast and taking in too much smoke. She felt sweat on every part of her body, and yet, the tiny life in her arm would not let her give up just yet.

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't leave the baby, nor could she save it without causing some injury to both of them. Because the only way out was to bust through the barricade, and for that, the baby would be vulnerable. Yet, staying here was not an option.

"Here goes nothing!" she murmured and shifted back into her wolf. Grabbing the bundle of blankets with her jaws, she hopped away from the barricade a few feet and hesitated. Would this work? Would this kill the baby in the process, the affect being seen as a useless alpha?

No, she would not think of the consequences of if she failed. She would save this child!

A deep breath. Then, she hopped quickly towards the barricade. Then, she lunged, turning her body away last second right before pain exploded in her back. Heat seared her fur, her eyes stung and she wanted to howl, but kept her jaws clenched together to hold the child.

Zazriel landed on the ground moments later, breath knocked out of her. The child was on top of her, wailing angrily. She peered down at the tiny body and saw a few minor scratches but nothing too concerning. She rolled carefully so the child laid on the cool grass and so Zazriel could catch her breath. Then, she shifted into her human form.

"You're safe, now. Hush, little Angel. You're safe," she whispered, caressing the baby's cheek and pulling her close. It was minutes before she began to move again, her arms straining to be the means of her mobility while her legs were the wagon that held the baby. She got to the tree line and dug under some roots to find a shirt large enough to cover her body before moving on. She knew where the pack went. Knew they were waiting to see if she would live or die, waiting to see just how weak she might be to confirm a new person should be put into power.

It took hours, and when she finally did reach her people, the day was almost over. She hadn't slept, eaten, bathed, or rested once since rescuing the child from Death's grip, too determined to reunite her with her mother and see the joy that would tell Zazriel she'd done the right thing.

But what she saw broke her heart. Half her pack was lying injured or dead on the grass across the river from where she was. Her pack was small, so every loss cut to the core. She couldn't afford to have any more. Her men were spread out too thin before the fire, but now there was no way she'd be able to defend the little territory they had left. They were already crossing boundaries into another's land, but what choice did they have?

Her body slumped, her arms jelly, and her hope barely a flicker in her eyes. Zazriel was covered in soot, her back probably had blisters and other open wounds and her lungs straining for fresh air to overwhelm the smoke in her system. She needed water and food and sleep, but the sight before her would not let her close her eyes for at least another day. It hurt to see how broken her pack was. It hurt to see they were slowly dwindling into nothing. She needed a solution, some way of bringing life back and restoring what was once lost.

And yet, there seemed to be nothing she could do as she glanced at all the bodies of her fallen pack mates. If her body wasn't lame from the waist down, if she didn't have dwarf forelegs her wolf had to struggle with, and if she could have been a stronger leader, none of this would have happened.

"Zazriel!" Gatrie cheered and everyone who was able looked towards her. Even from the many yards away as she was, she heard the whispers going around. Melissa cried in relief when she saw her baby, safe and alive in Zazriel's lap, even if she wasn't happy.

Several pack mates came across the river and helped carry them to the other side. Melissa instantly took the child and rocked her while walking away. Zazriel didn't say anything, just lied down and closed her eyes. She wanted sleep, but Jasmine's voice cut through her haze. "Here's some food," he said. She opened her eyes and saw a sandwich.

Sitting up, she took it. "Well?"

His face grew solemn. "Fifteen injured. Thirty dead."

That only left twenty of them left. Zazriel swallowed the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "Children?"

"Including Melissa's, we have all five." Jasmine paused for a moment and gazed about at the depressing scene. "I know you aren't willing to do it is, but maybe we should join another pack?"

Zazriel glared at him. "And I lose my people to that of a stranger? No!"

"We can't keep doing this, Z. We don't have any medical supplies for the wounded and our food rations are so low, we're hunting animals now. It's becoming colder at night so close to winter and as of last night, we have no homes and we don't have time to build new." Jasmine shook his head and Zazriel saw a tear slip down his cheek. "We can't keep this up. We need somewhere safe and warm to sleep."

"And I suppose you think the alpha of this territory is going to help?"

"He's already offered as long as those of us higher ranks are willing to be reassigned until he proves us loyal."

"And what about me?" she snarled. "You expect me to just step down as alpha?"

His eyes were pleading with her to understand. "You'll always be my alpha, Z. No one can replace you, but you also can't give us the necessities we need before winter hits at full force."

Keeping her mouth shut, Zazriel felt as if she was being torn apart. She understood Jasmine's logic, but she was also selfish enough to not let someone else take over what little of her people she had. "And how do you know Mourgent is going to do as he promises?"

"He swore an oath. All he asks is that it is with open minds and hearts, and we do it out of free will. He also asks that you publicly revoke your title so there are witnesses and swear fealty to him."

Zazrel's wolf didn't like the sound of that. An alpha never lets his or her pack go to another without good reason. An alpha fights for the pack, does everything they can to keep what they have and not let other's devastate it. But as rare as it happens, alphas do sometimes step down and help the pack find another who might take them in. It hurts, even kills them to do it, but they wouldn't let their pack suffer.

Zazriel hated the idea, but also didn't completely give in. "Let me speak to Alpha Mourgent. If I find him good enough for my pack, then I will decide."

"I'm sure you'll find me more than good enough to take care of your pack, Alpha Zazriel."

Zazriel swung her head around and saw a young man, though older than her, standing with his arms crossed and his green eyes trained on her. Her wolf perked up as did her heart. And between them, what looked like a hologram illuminated the space with a red fire, which shot towards them both. Zazriel gasped and clutched at her chest while Mourgent seemed unfazed. Around them, people gasped and backed away slowly, even the male who had accompanied the other Alpha.

Beside her, Jasmine was stiff and was reaching for his knife, but Zazriel put a hand on his leg. Mourgant furrowed his brows, seeming a little confused. Zazriel didn't move, and didn't speak, trying to understand what just happened. She didn't get time though because Mourgent had grown impatient and bossy. "On second thought, Alpha Zazriel, I think you should join immediately. No argument. No discussion. Either that, or I will pronounce you rogue."